IES Blog

On a recent trip to Florida, I got a chance to visit the Tampa Electric Company (TECO).  While this may not seem like a prime vacation destination, it must be said that this power plant goes above and beyond the normal community obligations.  TECO signed a $1.2 billion dollar plan in 1999 with the U.S. EPA and Florida Department of Environment Protection to reduce air emissions by 89% from their 1998 levels. 

Along with this pledge to reduce the emissions, they will be installing approximately 100,000 silicon-based photovoltaic panels.  The panels will generate enough electricity from the sun to serve electric needs for around 3500 homes. 

With Florida’s growing population, TECO is working hard to plan for the future of the environment.  Aside from the power plant objectives to reduce emissions and generate more renewable energy sources, they are also interested in preserving the environment for the future population of Florida.  The company holds a number of initiatives including an Aviation Protection Plan, Manatee Viewing Center, and environmental education center. 

Manatees, also known as sea cows, are listed on the World Conservation Union’s list as vulnerable to extinction.  While they have few natural predators, they are slow moving and fall victim to human interactions such as the numerous boat propellers around Florida’s coast. They have however, found a safe haven in inlets around the TECO plant.  The plants releases warm water that attracts a wide range of ocean creatures including around 300 manatees at a given time.  

Click below for a live web cam of the manatees in the inlet - http://www.tampaelectric.com/manatee/funstuff/

To find out more about the Photovoltaic and chart the hourly output click here
http://www.tampaelectric.com/

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Tags:Environment, reduce, Renewables

Does your typical workday look like a scene from this video “Planes, Trains and Automobiles?”

Next question, is there anything better than working from home in your PJs? How about working from home while helping the environment?

Climate Care Day is today, Friday, March 26, and as we’ve only just come across it unfortunately we won’t be taking part…shame (just think I could be sat at home in bed writing this right now)!!

But what exactly is it?  It’s a day which has been created to encourage businesses worldwide to replace all corporate travel with remote meetings for one day in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of climate change - the 21st century’s number one environmental issue - and demonstrate how simple choices can make a significant difference to the environment.  Following the success of Earth Hour (which is this tomorrow, FYI), Climate Care Day was created as a business initiative.

The thing is, while I like the ethos behind the idea, I can’t help but think it’s missing the sustainable transport element.  Sure staying at home one day and promoting video conferencing etc. is a great way of raising awareness, but what’s the point if we all go back to the same carbon intensive travel choices the next?

Imagine a world in which people choose to travel to work or meetings in ways that benefit their health and the environment.  There are many options; public transport, cycling, walking, electric/hybrid cars, and car sharing for example.

We have a pretty active “cycle to work” group here in the Glasgow office, which is supported by tax free discounts on purchase, as well as the ability to claim business mileage on expenses!  In fact we promote cycling so much that we’ve just been recognized as a Cycle Friendly Employee by Cycling Scotland.

While many others here car share on a regular basis – but as none of us are perfect there is a great practical guide on changing travel behaviour within your business on the Business Link website.

So can one day really make a difference?  Some of the stats on the website are shocking enough to make me want to try…  Hopefully next year we can convince our CEO to let us all work from home…

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Tags:Climate care day, cycle to work, earth hour

One of the key challenges facing today’s building designers is understanding and tackling how to incorporate sustainable design principles into existing workflows and processes.

A ‘good design is sustainable design’ ethos promoted by quantitative analysis can make a great impact.  Architects get quick environmental feedback on design iterations and environmental engineers can input more into the design.  Achieving this kind of effective collaboration and cross-discipline understanding, in my opinion is core to achieving truly sustainable, energy-efficient building design.

The advent of BIM (Building Information Modeling), and better integration between analysis and design tools, is helping push this more integrated, information sharing approach to design team working.  In particular, the Green Building XML schema, referred to as “gbXML”, was developed to facilitate information transfer from building information models to design/energy performance analysis tools.

We’ve working hard at IES to drive such integration by developing plug-ins that link our tiered suite of analysis tools to Revit Architecture, Revit MEP and Google SketchUp so users can build their designs in Revit or SketchUp and then easily translate and analyze  them in an iterative fashion.  gbXML was used to streamline the data flow from Revit to the IES <Virtual Environment> in the IES VE Revit Plug-in.

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Tags:Autodesk, daylighting, gbXML, LEED, plug-in, reduce, Revit, sketchup

There is a great diversity of climate zones across the planet. Each climate zone presents its own particular challenges for the architects and engineers of the design team. High humidity year round with a small diurnal range presents a challenge to human comfort in the humid equatorial climate zone. At the other extreme, sub zero temperatures in cold regions present an entirely different obstacle. Looking to the past, at the indigenous architecture in each region, we see a remarkable level of ingenuity in design. Before the luxuries of central heating and air conditioning, people used the very form of the building as their only means to control conditions inside the building. The traditional igloo allowed people to survive in an inhospitable climate which offered little in the way of building materials. Utilising the principal that hot air rises, the sleeping area was situated on a raised platform inside the igloo. The thick snow walls insulated the occupants from the sub zero temperatures outside and protected them from the biting wind.

No less ingenious is the traditional Malay house which has an entirely different set of challenges to overcome. Large levels of openable area help keep the house well ventilated, while the overhanging roof functions as a solar shade.

All across the world, the vernacular architecture shows a wonderful degree of congruence with the climate in which it is found. Contrast this with the modern urban skyline where generic high rise apartment and office blocks replace the highly specialised, climate specific designs of the past.

Building form is now more a result of function than climatic conditions. The inventions of central heating and air conditioning represent a great achievement in allowing us greater levels of indoor comfort and flexibility in design.

However, the energy used to condition our buildings represents a significant portion of global C02 emissions. Whilst technological advancements have delivered ever more efficient heating and cooling solutions, there perhaps remains scope for improvement in the external form of the buildings themselves. Lessons can be learned from the climate specific designs of our ancestors. With the benefit of tools and technology which did not exist for the indigenous builder, we can take inspiration from their designs to create buildings better suited to their environment. If we can control climate as much as possible utilising the form of the building alone we reduce the energy expended using mechanical methods, thus helping us towards the goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

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Tags:Architects, Building, climate, Engineers, Environment, reduce

 Well not really, but it’s potentially been usurped.  The GBCI unveiled the new three tiered LEED-AP program last year, and since then, those in the building profession world have been waiting to see how the market responds to figure out what to do next.  Myself included.  I’ve finally buckled down and figured out what I should do and I thought I’d share my process with you.  Here’s the CliffNotes version.

First, I had to figure out what’s what in the world of LEED-AP with this latest tiered program. 

• Pre May 2009, there was simply LEED AP.
• The new version keeps the LEED AP, now known as LEED-AP without Specialty or Legacy LEED AP.
• LEED Green Associate: usually students or manufacture representatives.
• LEED-AP with Specialty (i.e. LEED-AP BD+C): core exam for those who work on LEED projects. 
• LEED Fellows: are the gurus and the exam has yet to be created.

Here’s my frankensteined diagram trying to explain this:

Second, I figured out what options I had.  When I took the exam eons ago, there was one exam.  The choices were:
1. Take the LEED-AP exam
2. Don’t take the LEED-AP exam

Over time it has grown more complicated, not to mention more expensive and there’s more paperwork. (Click Image to open PDF)

** All dates are based on my personal Enrollment Window: 10/5/2009 – 10/4/2011.  Check “My Credentials” on www.gbci.org for your dates.

Finally, I came to a decision: I’m waiting.  I’m not convinced the market will require anything more than a LEED AP which I have and will always have.  Maybe I’m wrong.  Maybe we’ll start seeing “LEED AP with specialty” requirements in RFPs.  Maybe I’ll change my mind next summer.  But until then, I’ll forgo the paperwork and save my money.

Check out www.gbci.org for more information.  And if you’re working on LEED projects, your old LEED AP still counts for IDc2.

Next Time:  LEED AP: Continuing Education
LEED AP: What to Study and How to Study.

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Tags:Building, LEED, students

The first paragraph of Philip Wenz’s article, “The Future of Sustainable Design,” doesn’t paint such a pretty picture for those of us involved in commercial building…

“We have entered what I call the Not-So-Great Depression, a double whammy of eco-nomic and ecological crises.”

But it can’t be that bad, can it? I did some digging, and I’m happy to report that there is hope for the future and sustainable design is part of that.

The latest issue of AAMA’s newsletter opened with a note from President and CEO, Rick Walker. He said, “Moving forward in 2010, green building and energy efficiency continue to be buzzwords prevalent within the industry, as well as in economic sectors. Green building has shown itself to be much more than a passing industry trend, but has proven itself both as a movement that has the potential for financial savings, as well as job creation and general stimulus of the economy.”

That’s what I like to see - Green building is much more than a passing industry trend. Green building is a part of our lives, and it’s up to us to take the regulations and requirements and make the best, most sustainable buildings we can.

Another recent example of advancing sustainability is a Top 10 list of green building legislation, pointed to pending bills in the House and the Senate.  Some of these bills include The American Clean Energy and Security Act, The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, The Clean Energy and American Jobs Act, and The American Clean Energy and Leadership Act. These bills are all designed with one goal in mind – a sustainable future.

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Tags:Building, Sustainability

Last week, Consulting-Specifying Engineer, linked to a report containing 111 recommendations to improve NYC building codes.

According to the article, the task force, led by Urban Green Council, “was charged with recommending green changes to the laws and regulations affecting buildings in New York, bringing them to the next level. The 111 recommendations largely impact new construction and renovations.” The full report can be found here.

What is most interesting (and disturbing) is the letter at the beginning of the report.

Buildings in New York City account for nearly 80 PERCENT of its greenhouse gas emissions. More than buses, cars and taxis. And in a city with more than 10,000 cabs alone, the fact that buildings are the largest contributor of greenhouse gases is astounding. But the city is trying. In December 2006, Mayor Bloomberg committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30 percent by 2030, which will require substantial changes to building infrastructure.

What struck me about this report is that the changes are for buildings old and new. And they don’t have to do with LEED or Architecture 2030, although those benchmarks are an added bonus. This report provides New York City the changes needed to remove impediments to green building practices, ultimately resulting in greener, healthier buildings for all New Yorkers. Let’s see what we can learn from the city that never sleeps.

We will be hosting monthly AIA Continuing Education System- registered training courses at the Center for Architecture in New York City, these courses will be held over two days every month, starting on March 2-3 and 4-5, and will focus on BIM and performance analysis, utilizing IES’ <Virtual Environment> software.

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Tags:Building, Engineers, LEED, reduce